The latest franchise restaurant to hit Hampton Roads requires a sweet tooth.
Tous les Jours, a French Asian bakery café, features about 300 artisan pastries, gourmet cakes and desserts plus a variety of coffees, teas and blended beverages. The French name means “every day,” a reference to the desserts and artisan bread products that are baked in-store daily.
Hampton Roads franchise owner and South Korea native J.R. Kim opened Tous les Jours on Thursday in Jefferson Marketplace at the corner of Bland Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue in Newport News with 23 employees. He brought the franchise to the region with the help of his wife and co-owner, Julia, who operated a bakery for 18 years in Norfolk.
Tous les Jours, founded in 1997 in South Korea, entered the U.S. market in 2004 and is expanding across the country. Kim said they plan to expand the franchise next year to Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Their territory covers Virginia Beach to Williamsburg.
“We plan to open five stores in the next five years,” Kim said.
The blend of French and Asian flavors draws in customers. A big seller is the Japanese cloud cakes in various flavors such as green tea and triple berry cloud. The cloud cakes use less butter and sugar than American recipes. This makes a light pastry with a crispy exterior and subtly chewy texture, Kim said.
“It requires a special technique,” he said. “It’s delicate, which makes it soft and tasty. Most people have never tasted a cake like this.”
Tous les Jours, a French Asian bakery café, features about 300 artisan pastries, gourmet cakes and desserts plus a variety of coffees, teas and blended beverages. (Courtesy of Tous les Jours)
Among the many cake flavors are chocolate cloud, orange cream and peach cream. Doughnuts come with mango cream, chocolate cream and vanilla cream. French desserts include flavored croissants, handheld pies with classic toppings, macarons and Danishes.
In addition to sandwiches, the shop sells a large selection of artisan breads, including salt and butter rolls, baguettes and milk bread.
“We have so many different types of bread,” he said.
Coffee and tea are standouts, including such beverages as honey lavender matcha latte and caramel macchiato. The company’s beverage research and development specialist, Alexandra Hager, was the 2022 U.S. Coffee In Good Spirits Champion, earned at the U.S. Coffee Championships in Boston.
“The coffee and tea go nice with the desserts,” Kim said.
Tous les Jours has more than 110 locations across the United States and more than 1,740 worldwide, according to its website.
Originally Published: August 31, 2024 at 9:22 AM EDT